The regional planning body responsible for a proposed North Texas high-speed rail project will seek an additional $1.7 million for a consultant to study an alternative route connecting Dallas and Fort Worth.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments will present the increased budget for the rail study when the Regional Transportation Council meets Thursday in Arlington.
NCTCOG staff will present an updated alignment for the east route from Fort Worth along Interstate 30 and around downtown Dallas to the southwest before connecting to an already federally approved high-speed rail station in The Cedars.
The Cedars rail station would link a long-proposed high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas with Fort Worth.
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NCTCOG first presented the alternative route that loops around downtown Dallas to the RTC in July.
The Dallas City Council passed a unanimous resolution in June that stated the city would not support any new elevated rail lines through the city’s Central Business District until the completion of an economic study on the impact of high-speed rail on Dallas.
City staff said in a memo this week it expects to award the contract for the economic impact study in October, with work starting shortly after.
Additionally, Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert is expected to request NCTCOG to add connectivity between the high-speed rail station and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
The city broke ground on a revamped convention center in June and has published procurement solicitations for architecture, engineering, and design for the portion of the project west of Lamar Street. The new convention center is planned to open in 2029.
The Dallas City Council Economic Development Committee received memos on both the convention center and high-speed rail progress on Monday.
District 1 Councilmember Chad West said ensuring there is a way to get passengers from the future rail station in The Cedars into downtown Dallas and to the convention center will be at the center of several discussions at the city council in the coming months.
“The convention center is going to keep moving forward regardless of what happens with high-speed rail,” said West.
“Although, I think it would be a huge miss if we didn’t pull it all the way into the convention center in terms of getting people there.”
